A Quaint and Cozy California Home That's Actually 7,000 Square Feet

Sure, a tiny apartment has its challenges, but tackling the decor of a sweeping home is its own beast—especially when the client wants the place to feel the opposite. Amber Lewis, the founder of Los Angeles–based firm Amber Interiors, knows this firsthand. Recently, she was tasked with transforming a brand-new 7,000-square-foot residence in Santa Monica, California, into a quaint retreat for a family of five (plus one Great Dane). Her plan of action: Introduce luxurious layers to create a cozy, lived-in vibe. “Because it was new construction, our mood boards were all of homes that had a ton of character,” Lewis says. “We gravitated toward mixing new with old and wanted our main pieces of furniture to have a certain patina to them.”

Dialing up the home’s personality didn't require an overload of bright hues. Instead, Lewis kept the main living spaces white, incorporating pattern and subdued color through the furnishings. “Blues, blacks, and browns with pops of burgundy, pink, and green help the space feel collected and interesting,” she says. It was no easy feat finding pieces that checked all the boxes—right motif, right style, right color scheme—but Lewis persevered. “I spent hours and hours sourcing the perfect rugs for the house.”

In fact, the project was a labor of love from the very beginning. When Lewis came on board, the place had already been framed and the materials chosen, but the client wasn’t happy with the design direction. Lewis had to start from scratch, which required extra sensitivity on her part—time, money, and egos were on the line. Of course, in the end, there’s no questioning that all of the high-stress moments were worth it. “The family’s reaction was priceless,” says Lewis. “As always, I was so grateful for the opportunity to make their new house a home.”

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An Urban Electric Co. pendant hangs above a charming vintage bench in the entryway of this 7,000-square-foot house in Santa Monica, California. "The client didn’t want the house to feel too formal, so when I was designing each space, I approached it as I would a smaller home," says designer Amber Lewis of Amber Interiors.

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